DES MOINES, Iowa -- An Iowa mother decided to address the growing trend of women owning firearms by creating a class that teaches mothers how to safely carry a gun and a baby. Melody Lauer's baby-wearing, gun-carrying workshop proved to be so popular, the shooting range where she works had to close registration prior to the normal deadline. Lauer, who works at both a gun store and a parenting center, said she recognized the need for this class.
"We have seen a huge insurgence in young mothers-- mothers of young children, wanting to get into firearms. And what's happening is we don't have instructors that are addressing their needs. So they just do it. They don't do it right and then they end up having an accident," she said.
She said she does not try and convince parents they should carry a gun, rather she encourages them to do it safely.
"If you have baby on one side, it's best to have gun on the other side," she advised. "That makes me feel a little bit more better that we've had at least a few more people that are less likely to have accidents because I've helped them along that way."
